Cotton-harvester.



R. C. SCHERLING.

COTTON HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED P111349, 1910.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHBIIT 1.

Witnesses A ttqr qey S.

R C. SCHERLING. COTTON HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED r1213. 19, 1910.

Patented Aug. 13,1912;

-3 SHBETSSHEET 2.

W i m.

I; II

Witnesses R. 0.:SGHERLING.

COTTON HARVESIER. APPLICATION FILED PEB.19.1 910.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

3 SHBBTB-SHEET 3.

Attorneys-v UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

nunonrn o. sonn' nnme, or cmoaeo, ILLINOIS, assrenon TO HENRY a. sum-cox Ann-James E. BULLOCK, BOTH or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

corron-nanvns'rnn.

To ail whom it may concern --Be it known that I, RUDOLPH C. Senna LING, acitizen' of the United States, andresident of Chicago, in the county of Cook tion', taken in connection with the accompanying' sheets of-drawings, forms a full-,

clear, and exact s cification, which will enable others skille in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention has; eneral reference to cotton harvesters; an it consists, essentiallyginthe novel ,and peculiar combination of arts and details of construction, as

hereina 1' first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims. 20

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustrate this invention more fully, Figure 1 is an outline rear elevation,

partly in section, of a cotton harvester embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a. side elevation of one of the columns and its picking spindles as used in this machine, the figure being partly in section to disclose detai s of construction:

Fig. 3 is a lan of the same. Fig. 4. is an end view a modified form of the column, and Fig. 5 is a trans.- verse sectional view on line a: a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isan elevation in section, of a frag,- ment-- of the column shown in Fi 4 in line on w of Fig. 3. Fig.6 is an end elevation of the columnshown in Fig. the removable trunnion and the bevel-gear wheel adjacent to the same being removed. Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the cylinder heads in which the columns are mounted. Fig. 7 is a sectional-view of the same in line 3 y of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a similar view on an enlarged scale of a fragment of said cylinder head. Fig. 9"is an elevation, partly in section, of-a portion of the cylinder head. Fig. 10 is a plan of two adjacent bearin caps. Fig. 11 IS an end view of one of t e washers emplayed in connection'with the bearing caps.

ig. 12 is an inverted plan of the same. Fig. 13'is a perspective view of the lockin washers. Fig. 14 is a plan of the same, an Fig li is an end-view thereof.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Application flied February 19, 1910. Serial no. 544,925.

Patent-ed Aug. 13, 1912.

'Like parts are designated by corresponding symbols and characters of reference in all the various figures.

The object of this invention is the improvement of cotton picking machines to over come certain defects which actual/115e of such a machine in the cotton fields has disclosed, the said improvements being e'spe cially'directed to the cylinder with its columns and picking spindles. And inrorder that these improvements be thoroughlyun derstood', I shall briefly describe the particular cotton harvester to which my inventions are applied.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that this machine includes a machine body J, -of substantially rectangular contour which body is suspended from an overhead beam K, in a suitable manner, said overhead lieam being carried by two, approximately S-shapcd bars L, L, the lower members 1, 1, of which form axles upon which are mounted traction wheels M, M. -To

these tract-ion wheels are fastened sprocket wheels N, N, which connect, by suitable transmission belts, with sprocket wheels P.

P, mounted upon a shaft Q, on the overhead beam K. Upon thisshaft there is a driver sprocket Rnvhich is connected with a driven sprocket S, by.a suitable transmis: sion belt, these transmission belts being indicated by dotted lines. The driven sprocket S is fastened to one end of a shaft '1, which I term the cylinder.shaft-,and upon this shaft is mounted a cylinder U, comprising two cylinder heads A, A, connected together by a tubular, flanged, sleeve V. In this cylinder there are mounted a series of columns E, and each of these columns is supplied with a series of picking spindles G, rotated intermittently by pmions 43, engaging a mutilated, stationary, gear wheel X, the columns bein rocked in the cylinder heads A A, by their cranks 41 and rollers 42, engaging a suitabl constructed cam plate Z. In this Fig. 1, have shown additional elements',and parts, but since they do not require description in order to' to describe'the same. The operation of such a cotton picking machine is briefly, as follows: The machine is propelled by a team of horses over a row of cotton plants. 'These plants enter a channel in themachine body into which channel the picking spindles enter while rotating, and from which they are withdrawn to pick lint from the plant portions passing through said channel, a guard I, located under the machine body and in close proximity to the ground over which the machine is being moved, lifting .the lower branches of the plants. from the ground, while a.grate I, prevents the plant 'POIUOIIS from entering the machine body proper. Having thus described in general terms the principal featiires of a cotton pickin machine to which my invention relates,

shall now proceed to disclose those details of construction which embrace myinvention: The cylinder, as heretofore stated, includes two end plates or cylinder heads A, A, the peripheries of whicl are provided with a series of semicirculai notches 12,

forming half-bearings for the columns, E. Midway between these bearings 12 there are in the web 14: openings 15, and leading from the periphery of the cylinder head into these openings 15 there are bolt holes 16, indicated in Fig. 8. Upon the periphery of the cylinder head. there are located as many bearing caps B, as there are semicircular notches in said riphery, each cap having a semicircular epression forming a complete bearing for the trunnions 13, ,13, of thecolumns E. In the ends of these caps B there are semicircular notches 17, corresponding in position to that of the holes '10 16, two ofthese semicircular notches 17 forming a complete bolt hole for the passage of a machine bolt F passing through sald caps and the bolt-hole 16 in the periphery of said cylinder head, into the opening 15, in which the nut 18 of the bolt F is located,

and which nut fits the sides of said opening 15 by an easy fit, but is prevented from ro-" tating by its two opposing sides bearing against the sidesof the opening 15. Upon the adjacent flanges of the bearing caps are located oblong washers C, shown in detail in 11 and 12, said washers bearing withone end against one side, 19, of the approximately semicircular portion 50 of 56 the caps B, the other endofsaid washers being shorter so as to leave a narrow space 51, Figs. 6 and 9, between the washer and the opposite portion 20, of said caps B.

D, designates a bolt-lock. It comprises 60 a substantially rectangular plate shown in detail in Figs 13, 14, and -15, in which plate there is a- U-shaped incision 21, and a circular aperture 22, the latter aperture being,provided for the passage of the bolt-F. One end of this plate is bent at right angles at 23, which bent portion is adapted to en'- gage the space 51 between the end of thewasher C and the portion 20 of the bearin caps B, thereby preventing the plate from being misplaced. The inner portion 24, of the-plate D which has the bolt ole-.22 serves as a washer upon which the head of the bolt F, indicated by the numeral 25, rests, while the outer U shaped portion 26 is adapted to be bent upwardly to embrace two opposingsides of the bolt head 25 and thereby prevents the latter from turning. In cotton picking machines of the class described there are a large number of gear wheels which, when the machine is in'opera- 30 tion, cause considerable vibration of the machine-parts, which has a tendency to slacken bolts and nuts, and cause them-to dro' out of position and be caught in the mac ineparts resulting in damage thereto. This obg5 jection I have entirely overcome by the construction described, and have attained the further advantages that instead of using theso-called cap-screws in the bearing caps, as has heretofore been the case, I am enabled'ao to use the much cheaper machine-screws termed machine-bolts, while at the same time I am enabled to remove any bearing cap B by .only removing two of these bolts without slackening any of the bolts in the adjacent bearing caps.

E, desi' ates one of the series of columns.

It is, pre erably a cast-metal body 27, hav- 1ng either an oblong, or a U-shaped transverse section. This body has on both of its ends heads, 28, 28, respectivel from which heads the trunnions or journa s 13, 13*,project. In the U-shaped portion of this column there are a series of internallyscrew-- threaded bosses 29, in which bosses there are 106 located, and in screw-threaded connection with the bore thereof, tubular bearings for the picking spindles G, each of said bearings comprising an externally screw-threaded part 30, a laterall projecting flange 31, bearing upon the ace-of the boss 29, a polygonal portion 32, adapted to receive a wrench by which the tubular bearing-is curely screwed into "the boss 29, and the tubular. portion 33, the whole being longitudinally bored to receive the shank34 of the picking spindle G, and serving as a bearing for the same, said shank 34 being slightly smaller in diameter to form a shoulder on the picking spindle G bearing against the lowerend of the tubular part 33. At the upper end of each of said shanks 3i there is located a bevel pinion 35, of a diameter slightly smaller than the bore of the bosses 29, so that the pinions may be first securely 125 fastened to the shanks 34, and then assed into the column through the bore 36 t ereof and then the tubular bearings H securely screwed into said bore. This construction is an important feature because it overcomes the difiiculty heretofore experienced in securing the- .bevel pinions 35 tothe shanks'34 when the picking spindlesare inserted in bearings formed integral with the 5 body of the columns, and the bevel pinions have to be fastened therein after the picking spindles have been placed in position. It accomplishes the further result that when it is desired to either replace or renew ahearing or a bevel pinion, it can be readily accomplished by unscrewing the proper bearin H.

In t e heads 28 and 28 of the columns there are shaft bearings 37 Figs. 5 and 5,

within which rotates a shaft 38,.carrying bevel wheels 38, that meshwith the bevel. pinions 35. and rotate the same. When this column is made with a cover 40, to close the column and prevent cotton lint from reaching the pinions, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the heads 28 and 28 thereof may be formed integral with the trunni'ons,-but I prefer the construction illustrated in Fi s.

4, 5, and 5*,inwhich'thb column with its cover is made integral in the process of "casting. In this case I may form the trunnion- 13 integral with the head 28, but the trunnion 13 is formed separate, and the'end of the column-body left open and internally 30 scrcw threaded a't45, while on the head 28" I form 8 shouldered, externally screwthreaded' part 46, the shoulder 47 bearing against the end of the column. In this case I also-provide a filling-plug48, in the col- 85 'umn so that the entire interior space of the column serves as a reservoir for a lubricant to lubricate the mechanism in, the column and the shanks of the picking spindles, vBy thus constructing the column with the removable trunnion, I derive the important advantage that I can permanently aifix the bevel wheels 39 upon the shaft 38 before the latter is' laced in position in the column, a result which overcomes one of the draw- 4 backs heretofore contended with, viz., that of thWbeveF-wheelsbecoming loose upon their shaft and that,-w hen necessary to remove a bevel wheel, all the bevel wheels had to be freed from the shaft before any one thereof 50 could be removed.

' To assemble a column, I first secure all the bevel wheels permanently upon the shaft 38; I then locate all.t-he' bcvelinions on the picking spindles (after having placed the tubular bearings thereon); I then place the shaft with its bevel wheels in the column, and finally place all the tubular bearings with the picking spindles and their bevel pinions in position.

On the trunnion 13 there is formed a crank 41, having a rollcr'cngaging a tor-.

tuous groove in a cam-plate Z, Fig. 1, and on the outside of the shaft 38, which projects beyond the trunnion 13, there is located the pinion 43 which engages a mutilated gearwheel-X, Fig. 1, and the slide 44'which prevents the picking spindles from rotating during part of the rotation of the cylinder, in the well-known manner. a

I have heretofore stated that I refer the employment of machine bolts in t e caps of the cylinder heads, but I desire it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to the use of these bolts, and that I- may. em-

ploy the heretofore-used cap screws, should I find them more desirable. I

I have heretofore described in detail the construction of the cylinder head illustrated in Figs. 6 to 15 inclusive, but do not claim this part of my invention in the present ap- 8b plication, since the same hasbeen incorporated in a divisional application filed by me December 29, 1910, Serial No. 599,8 31.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United Statesp 1. In a'cotton picking machine,a cylinder, comprising two endgilates'; a rotating. shaft upon'which said'en plates are mountedfa series of columns journaled in said end lates and conn'ectin the same each of sai columns comprising a main body, a fixed trunnion on one end of said main body, and a removable trunnion on the,other end of said main body; a series of pickin spindles in each column, bevel pinions on .t e lnner e'nds of said picking s indles, a longitudinal shaft in said main bo y, and bevel wheels on this shaft, said bevel wheels being adapted to' mesh with the bevel pinions on said picking spindles, and to pass through the end of said mainbody.

2. In a cotton harvester, a column, comprising a hollow mainbod a shaft in said main cdy there being a xed trunnion on .said main body and on one end thereof, a removable trunnion on the other end of said main body, said main body being open at the latter end to receive said removable trunnion, and means for retaining said latter trunnion in proper position in' said main body, said removable trunnion being in axial line with saidshaftand centrally bored to afford a bearing in said trunnion for said shaft.

3. In a cotton harvester, a column, comprising, a main body, a trunnion on one end of said main body, a removable trunnion on the other end of said main body, said main body being open at the latter end to receive said removable trunnion, means for retaining the removable trunnion in proper position in said main body, a series of removable tubular bearings projecting from said main body, a picking spindle in each of said tubular bearings, a bevel pinion at the inner end of each picking spindle, a longitudinal shaft in saidmain body,a series of bevel wheels upon said shaft adapted to engage said pinions, said shaft with its bevel wheels being adapted to be passed into the said main body my invention, I have hereunto set niy hand through bthe opegl endi thelieof, and the bevel in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. pinions eing a apte to e passed into the q said main body, and in engagement with RUDOLPH SUHERLING' 5 said bevel wheels with said removable tubu- Attest:

lar bearings. v MICHAEL J. SmRK,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as RICHARD J, \VUERsT. 

